Immunizations

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What Immunizations are Needed for School Entry?

To enter or transfer into public and private elementary and secondary schools (grades K through 12), children under the age of 18 years must have immunizations as shown below. New 7th grade entry requirements went into effect 7/99.

WRITTEN documentation for the immunization requirements below, MUST be provided.  Parent recall is not accepted.

Vaccine Note Dose Note
Polio
 OPV and/or IPV
Four doses at any age, but...
 3 doses meet the requirement for ages 4-6 if at least one was given on or after the 4th birthday;
3 doses meet requirement for ages 7-17 years if at least one was given on or after the 2nd birthday
DTP
Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussia
 Age 6 and younger (Pertussis is required) DPT, DPTaP with DT (tetanus and diphtheria)
Five doses, but...
 4 doses meet requirements for ages 4-6 if at least one was on or after the 4th birthday
DTP
Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussia
 Age 7 and older (Pertussis is not required)
Td, DT, or DTP, DTaP or any combination of these
Four doses, but...
 3 doses meet requirement for ages 7-17 years if at least one was on or after the 2nd birthday. If last dose was given before the 2nd birthday, one more (Td) dose is required
DTP
Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussia
 7th grade, effective 7/1/99
Td booster
One dose recommended
 Not required if less than 5 years have passed since last DPT, DTaP, DT, or Td dose
MMR
Measles, Mumps, Rubella
 K-12
Two doses*
 Both on or after first birthday
Hepatitis B
 K-12
Three doses or two-dose formulation approved for adolescents
 If your child hasn't had 3 Hepatitis B immunizations (required for 7th grade).   You will need 4 - 6 months to finish getting all 3 - so plan ahead!
Mantoux
(PPD)
TB Skin Test**		 Kindergarten and all out-of-state first time entrants to CA schools One Intradermal
Skin Test - Multiple Puncture Tests are NOT acceptable!		 Must be given within 1 year prior to school entry.***
Varicella
(Chicken Pox)

Kindergarten
effective 7/1/2001
One dose 
 Required documentation will be an immunization record that shows either one dose of varicella vaccine has been received by the student or that the student has had chickenpox disease.
Varicella
(Chicken Pox)

Out of state entrants (grades 1-12)    
One dose for children under 13
-or-
Two doses on or after 13th birthday or documentation of disease.   

Required documentation will be an immunization record that shows either one dose of varicella vaccine has been received by the student or that the student has had chickenpox disease.****
* Two doses of measles-containing vaccine required. One dose of mumps and rubella-containing vaccine required; mumps vaccine is not required for children 7 years of age and older.

** Your documentation must show, the exact date that the test was administered, and the result of the test.

*** All other students in grades 1-12 who have never attended any school in California: Mantoux test could have been performed at any previous time.

**** Receipt of dose 4 days before the birthday will satisfy requirement.  History of varicella disease or immunity meets the varicella requirement.

The health department also recommends that  your  school age child receive Hepatitis A and vaccination.  

EXEMPTIONS: 

The law allows (a) parents/guardians to elect exemptions to immunization requirements based on their personal beliefs, and (b) physicians of children to elect medical exemptions. The law does not allow parents/ guardians to elect an exemption simply because a record is lost or incomplete and this would cause an inconvenience to go to a physician or clinic to correct the problem. See the back of the blue California School Immunization Record (PM 286) for instructions and the affidavit to be signed by parents/guardians electing the personal beliefs exemption. For children with medical exemptions, the physician's written statement should be stapled to the CSIR. Schools should maintain an up-to-date list of pupils with exemptions, so they can be excluded quickly if an outbreak occurs.

The California school law was amended effective 8/1/97.

Kindergarten entrants are now required to have three doses of hepatitis B vaccine and two doses of a measles-containing vaccine (usually given as MMR).

Further changes, effective 7/1/99 will include a requirement for seventh grade entrants to have 3 doses of hepatitis B vaccine and two doses of a measles-containing vaccine, and a recommendation for a tetanus-diphtheria booster.